98-02 Accord Headlight lenses

Anyone else have (essentially) a clearcoat failure on the outer surface
of the headlight lense? i washed the car and thought I hadn't got som
bug smear off and upon looking closer it looks like there is some skin
on the lense that is degrading and flaking off on the outside. Any
ideas?

Kevin

The old lenses that sat out in the sun got cataracts. Saw a few peeling
but these are on very old cars.

But NAPA carries new ones for $155:.
http://www.napaonline.com/masterpage...al+Assy+-+Left


FunkyKev wrote:
> Anyone else have (essentially) a clearcoat failure on the outer surface
> of the headlight lense? i washed the car and thought I hadn't got som
> bug smear off and upon looking closer it looks like there is some skin
> on the lense that is degrading and flaking off on the outside. Any
> ideas?
>
> Kevin

"FunkyKev" > wrote in
oups.com:

> Anyone else have (essentially) a clearcoat failure on the outer surface
> of the headlight lense? i washed the car and thought I hadn't got som
> bug smear off and upon looking closer it looks like there is some skin
> on the lense that is degrading and flaking off on the outside. Any
> ideas?
>


There is in fact a skin. It's the federally-mandated anti-abrasion epoxy
that all plastic headlamp lenses must have. The skin appears to break down
with exposure to sunlight. Not one of the NHTSA's better ideas.

There are kits available for polishing up the cloudy ones, but if yours is
one of those actually peeling off, there is no cure but replacement.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Oh, FYI...that's a 1998 Accord I'm talking about.

Kevin

In article >,
says...

> There is in fact a skin. It's the federally-mandated anti-abrasion epoxy
> that all plastic headlamp lenses must have. The skin appears to break down
> with exposure to sunlight. Not one of the NHTSA's better ideas.
>
> There are kits available for polishing up the cloudy ones, but if yours is
> one of those actually peeling off, there is no cure but replacement.

I have a similar issue on my 99 Accord - had one of the headlamps
replaced about a year ago, so its lens is nice, clear and shiny, but the
other one is noticeably cloudy.

I was planning to try Mother's Plastic Polish on one of the ball-shaped
polishing tools that fit into the chuck of an electric drill. Are the
specialized kits a better idea?

Dave

Dave Garrett > wrote in
:

> In article >,
> says...
>
>> There is in fact a skin. It's the federally-mandated anti-abrasion
>> epoxy that all plastic headlamp lenses must have. The skin appears to
>> break down with exposure to sunlight. Not one of the NHTSA's better
>> ideas.
>>
>> There are kits available for polishing up the cloudy ones, but if
>> yours is one of those actually peeling off, there is no cure but
>> replacement.
>
> I have a similar issue on my 99 Accord - had one of the headlamps
> replaced about a year ago, so its lens is nice, clear and shiny, but
> the other one is noticeably cloudy.
>
> I was planning to try Mother's Plastic Polish on one of the
> ball-shaped polishing tools that fit into the chuck of an electric
> drill. Are the specialized kits a better idea?
>


I understand they are, but have no personal experience with either.


--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

So, what's the difference between cloudy and peeling? Sounds the same
if both cases are external conditions of the lense. If they are
different then we are to assume that the skin can cloud before it
peels. true or not?

KL

"FunkyKev" > wrote in
ups.com:

> So, what's the difference between cloudy and peeling? Sounds the same
> if both cases are external conditions of the lense.


The discoloration means the coating is becoming optically poor, but is
still intact. If not too bad, the discoloration may be buffed out.

If the coating is *peeling off* on the other hand, then it's outright
missing in spots. I guess you could buff up what's left, but I don't know
how the unprotected plastic on the peeled spots would behave over time.


> If they are
> different then we are to assume that the skin can cloud before it
> peels. true or not?
>


Most of what I've seen on plastic headlights is cloudiness and yellowing.
The peeling thing seems to be relatively rare. Take a walk through a
shopping mall parking lot on a Saturday afternoon and you'll see the same
thing I see.



--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/